Wire-stretcher



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM 0. SMITH, OF IOl/VA PARK, TEXAS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,938, dated June 13, 1899. Application filed 0ct0lier 24, 1898. Serial No. 694,417. (No model.)

To all whom, itvnay concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM 0. SMITH, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Iowa Park, in the county of lVichita and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in wire-fence stretchers, and particularly to that class known as removable ratchet-bar.

The object of my invention is to provide a quickly and easily operated device of this character which is eflicient and inexpensive of manufacture.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists of the details of construction and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention as applied in use and as adjusted before the stretching. operation. Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3, a detail of one of the fencewire clamps, and Fig. 4 an additional view of same.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 1 designate two duplicate bars, one end of each of which is secured in a ring 2 and their opposite inner ends provided with outturned integral eyes or guide members 3 3, which receive one each of duplicate ratchetbars44, carrying on their inner ends inturned integral eyes or guide members,through which pass the bars 1 1.

In the upper edges of the ratchet-bars 4 4 are a series of ratchet-teeth 5, adapted to be engaged by the guide members 33 of the bars 1 1. To the outer end of the ratchet-bar 4 is pivoted a hand-lever 6, which also pivotally engages the outer end of the ratchet-bar 4, hooked, as at 7, to receive said lever, which is secured by aqmovable pin 7 passing through registering eyes in said hook.

The hand-lever 6 has in its inner edge, extending midway its length from the pivoted end, a series of notches 8, which engage a stirrup 9, slidable on said lever, and this stirrup 9 carries chains 10 11, the shorter chain 10 having at its free end the wire-grip 12 and the longer chain a hook 13. A series of holes '14 extend longitudinally and centrally of the said hand-lever 6, and through the medium thereof and of the series of notches 8 it will be seen that the leverage to be exerted by said hand-lever may be regulated and varied by changing the relative position of the stirrup 9 and hook 7 thereon as regards its pivoted end.

The ring 2, in which the ends of the bars 1 1 are seen red, carries a chain having at its free end a wire-grip 12 the duplicate of wire-grip 12, and a description of one is sufficient for both. This grip consists of two similarlyformed hook-shaped jaws 14 14, independently secured in the end chain-link, as shown in Fig. 4, and each having at its outer or back edge an integral projection 15. To engage with the grip, the wire is looped thereover behind the projection 15 and the strands 16 16' of the loop drawn between the jaws, as in Fig. 4, and while in this position a longitudinal strain on the line-wire will draw the loop tightly about the jaws and cause them to grip the strands 16 16, and the greater the strain exerted the greater will be the clamping tendency. I

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the drawings and foregoing description. The stretcher is secured to the end or anchor post 17 by the chain 11 and the line-wi re engaged with grip 12, the bars being in the extended position shown in Fig. 1. Upon rocking the hand -lever, as shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 2, the bars 1 1 are alternately moved into engagement with the ratchet-teeth 5 of bars 4 4, causing said bars 1 1 to travel toward the anchor-post and stretch the wire. If the wire is not sufficiently tight when the machine has been operated to its full limit, the free end 16 thereof is engaged with grip 12, the linewire released from grip 12 for the purpose of reengaging it a further distance front the anchor-post, and the stretcher adjusted in extended position, when the stretching operation is repeated.

When it is desired to splice abroken wire,

the two ends are connected with the grips 12 12 and the hand-lever actuated, which draws the ends together for union in the usual manner.

This invention possesses various advantages which must be readily apparent to those familiar with existing devices of this character.

It will be understood that alterations may be made in the'details of construction of the invention Without sacrificing any of its advantages or departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is 1. In a Wire-stretcher, the combination of a pair of divergentrack-bars, a pair of divergent engaging bars or members slidably connected therewith and provided with looking devices to engage the teeth thereof, and a pivoted lever for operating the parts to advance the engaging bars alternately, substantially as described.

2. In a wire-stretcher, the combination of a pair of divergent rack-bars, a pair of divergent engaging bars slidably connected therewith and provided at their inner ends with looking devices to engage the teeth thereof, and a lever pivotally connected to the outer ends of the rack-bars to simultaneously move the same in reverse directions and thereby advance the said engaging bars alternately, substantially as described.

8. In a wire-stretcher, the combination of a pair of divergent engaging bars connected at their inner ends to each other and carrylng a Wire-grip and having pawls or engaging members at their outer ends, a pair of divergent rack-bars slidably connected at their inner ends to the engaging bars, a lever pivotally connected to the outer ends of the rack-bars and adapted to simultaneously move the same in reverse directions to alternately advance the engaging bars, and a chain adapt ed for connecting the lever to a fence-post, substantially as described. 4. In a wire-stretcher, the combination of a pair of divergent engaging bars connected at their inner ends to each other and carrying a wire-grip and having pawls or engaging mern= bers at their outer ends, a pair of divergent rack-bars slidably connected at their inner ends to the engaging bars, a lever having a fixed pivot connection with the outer end of one of the rack-bars and an adjustable. pivot connection with the outer end of the other rack-bar, and a chain adapted to be connected at one end to a fence-post and carrying at the other end thereof a link or stirrup engaging the lever, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM 0. SMITH.

\Vitnesses:

F. J. CABINESS, H. E. WAKEFIELD. 

